HILO — The woman found shot to death in her Puna home Tuesday was a former high school rodeo standout who was well known in Big Island horse and rodeo circles.

The slaying of Kaycee M. Smith, 21, of Orchidland Estates was called “shocking” by Al Cabral, president of the Hawaii Horse Owners Association.
Smith, who represented Waiakea High School and finished 86th in breakaway roping in the 2003 National High School Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M., was found by a close friend, according to police Capt. Randall Medeiros, head of the Hilo Criminal Investigations Section.
Medeiros said police and fire personnel who arrived at around 8:50 a.m. Tuesday found her dead, the victim of an apparent gunshot wound. Smith lived alone in the Orchidland Estates home.
Police did not release news of Smith’s death until yesterday, after an autopsy confirmed that Smith was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head, and the pathologist concluded it was homicide.
“Detectives had a strong suspicion (of murder) because of evidence at the scene and the condition of the body,” Medeiros said. “However, we could not confirm their suspicions until the autopsy was performed. ... When we were able to confirm the manner of death, that's when we re-classified it (as a murder).”
Medeiros said a handgun was found at the scene, but no drugs.
“We're not identifying a suspect at this time,” he said, adding police have questioned a number of individuals.
Smith had worked for Del’s Farm Supply in Hilo, but was unemployed as of late, Medeiros said.
News of her death sent a shock wave among rodeo and horse people. Most contacted by the Tribune-Herald knew she had been killed, but declined to talk for publication.
“She was a good kid,” said Cabral. “She did rodeo from what we call the keiki division in the Hawaii High School Association. She was very competitive. She did win a lot of buckles and prizes. She was good.”
While successful on horseback, tragedy touched Smith's life. Her late father, Noel “Bear” Smith, is believed to have fatally shot Jeremy Napoleon, 28, on June 19, 2007, in the yard of Napoleon's Hawaiian Paradise Park home.
Smith, 45, died about three hours later, after his 2007 Dodge pickup ran off Akoni Pule Highway in North Kohala and crashed into an embankment.
“The family, the Smiths, before the dad's situation, was involved with the Hawaii Horse Owners, and we did trail rides, camping trips and rodeos,” Cabral said. “When the kids went to high school, one of my boys was doing rodeo at the same time Kaycee was.
“We were shocked when the whole thing happened with Bear. We were pretty close together. We knew these kids from when they were what we call 'spurs in the blanket.' They came to our house, the kids just socializing, playing, whatever.”
Cabral said that Smith was very close to her father, a Hawaiian Telcom lineman, who left her and her older sister, Shelly, who lives in Colorado, a “lot of money.” He added that Smith continued to be involved in the horse community.
“She wasn't as heavily involved as she was when she was younger, but she continued to own horses,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police Lt. Mitchell Kanehailua at 961-2252. Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo.